Tollhaus

From 1850 onwards the tollkeeper (toll collector) and his family lived in this little house from Bedum in the province of Groningen. The tollkeeper collected money
from travellers as a contribution towards the construction and maintenance of the stretch of road they were using. Thanks to the protruding middle section of the house, the tollkeeper had a good view of the road and the tollgate. Tollkeepers disappeared with the introduction of road tax for motorised traffic. This meant that delays to journeys caused by having to pay tolls became a thing of the past. Another tollhouse, from Midlaren (85), can also be found at the museum. The ‘Magenta’ weaving group demonstrates the use of looms in this tollkeeper’s cottage. Back to overview of buildings